Display control device for vehicle

Abstract

A display control device for a vehicle includes: a display controller that displays a determined display image including a display of a traveling state of the vehicle on a windshield of the vehicle; a visibility reducing area detector that detects a presence or an absence of a visibility reducing area on the windshield, the visibility reducing area reduces visibility of a driver; and a gaze detector that detects a gaze of the driver. When the visibility reducing area is detected, but the display of the traveling state does not overlap with the visibility reducing area, and the driver keeps the gaze on the visibility reducing area, the display controller displays, on the visibility reducing area, a traveling direction information necessary for driving the vehicle.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A display control device for a vehicle, the display control device comprising:
 a display controller configured to display display images on a windshield of the vehicle, the display images comprising a first display of a traveling direction information that is necessary to drive the vehicle and a second display of a traveling state of the vehicle; 
 a visibility reducing area detector configured to detect a presence or an absence of a visibility reducing area on the windshield, wherein the visibility reducing area has lower visibility of a driver than a visibility area that is provided on the windshield adjacently to the visibility reducing area; and 
 a gaze detector configured to detect a gaze of the driver, 
 wherein while the display controller displays the display images on the windshield, and when (1) the visibility reducing area detector detects the visibility reducing area, (2) the display controller displays the second display on the visibility area, and (3) the display controller determines that the driver keeps the gaze on the visibility reducing area, the display controller switches the display images from first images in that no displays are displayed on the visibility reducing area into second images in that the first display is displayed on the visibility reducing area. 
 
     
     
       2. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the display controller makes higher or larger one or both of a contrast and a size of the first display on the visibility reducing area. 
     
     
       3. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the first display on the visibility reducing area comprises a superimposition display image of an information that is visually recognized through the windshield, and 
 when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected as the visibility reducing area and the dirty area overlaps with the superimposition display image, the display controller switches the information of the superimposition display image to a simple display image and displays the simple display image in an area in which the simple display image does not overlap with the dirty area, while the display controller determines that the driver does not keep the gaze on the superimposition display image. 
 
     
     
       4. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area. 
     
     
       5. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 4 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller displays the first display on the visibility reducing area. 
     
     
       6. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 5 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to the determined range, the display controller executes a warning process. 
     
     
       7. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 4 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller executes a warning process. 
     
     
       8. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first display on the visibility reducing area comprises a superimposition display image of an information that is visually recognized through the windshield, and 
 when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected as the visibility reducing area and the dirty area overlaps with the superimposition display image, the display controller switches the information of the superimposition display image to a simple display image and displays the simple display image in an area in which the simple display image does not overlap with the dirty area, while the display controller determines that the driver does not keep the gaze on the superimposition display image. 
 
     
     
       9. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 8 , wherein when the dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area. 
     
     
       10. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 9 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller displays the first display on the visibility reducing area. 
     
     
       11. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 10 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to the determined range, the display controller executes a warning process. 
     
     
       12. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 9 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller executes a warning process. 
     
     
       13. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area. 
 
     
     
       14. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 13 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller displays the first display on the visibility reducing area. 
     
     
       15. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 14 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to the determined range, the display controller executes a warning process. 
     
     
       16. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 13 , wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller executes a warning process. 
     
     
       17. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area, 
 the display controller is further configured to:
 switch the display images from the first images into the second images when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area, 
 the display controller is further configured to:
 when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller switches the display images from the first images into the second images, and 
 when the size of the dirty area is less than the determined range, the display controller maintains the display images of the first images. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The display control device for the vehicle according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first display includes an image of a real scene that is obscured by the visibility reducing area, and 
 wherein the real scene is a scene in front of the windshield. 
 
     
     
       20. A display control device for a vehicle, the display control device comprising:
 circuitry configured to:
 display display images on a windshield of the vehicle, the display images comprising a first display of a traveling direction information that is necessary to drive the vehicle and a second display of a traveling state of the vehicle; 
 detect a presence or an absence of a visibility reducing area on the windshield, wherein the visibility reducing area has a lower visibility of a driver than a visibility area that is provided on the windshield adjacently to the visibility reducing area; and 
 detect a gaze of the driver, 
 
 wherein while the circuitry displays the display images on the windshield, and when (1) the visibility reducing area detector detects the visibility reducing area, (2) the circuitry displays the second display on the visibility area that is provided on the windshield adjacently to the visibility reducing area, and (3) the circuitry determines that the driver keeps the gaze on the visibility reducing area, the circuitry switches the display images from first images in that no displays are displayed on the visibility reducing area into second images in that the first display is displayed on the visibility reducing area, and display the display images on the windshield.